One year later.

It was exactly two weeks after Jun-hee’s first birthday.

For the first time since giving birth to Jun-hee, Hae-in was getting ready with the help of others.

Jun-hee’s first birthday party had ended with a meal with both sets of parents, so no special preparations were needed.

Today, a makeup artist and a hairstylist had come to the house.

Hae-in enjoyed watching her face gradually transform under the touch of others after a long time.

“Your hair texture is really lovely,” the hairstylist complimented her repeatedly, neatly styling the hair that hadn’t been properly trimmed since childbirth.

Her hair, which had only been tied up, now fell gracefully over her shoulders in elegant C curls, and her face, which had only had basic skincare, was enhanced with makeup that accentuated her features.

“Mama.”

Jun-hee, who had just started walking while holding onto the wall, peeked her head into the room where her mother was. Jun-hee saw Hae-in but didn’t run to her right away, shaking her head instead.

“Jun-hee-yah.”

When Hae-in called Jun-hee with wide eyes, only then did she reach out her hands towards her mother, saying “Baba.” It seemed she recognized the person sitting in the chair as her mother only after hearing her voice.

Jun-hee reached out her hand unsteadily, then slipped on the floor and ended up in a crawling position again. She then crawled very quickly to Hae-in’s feet in an instant.

“Oh dear, Madam, I’m so sorry.”

The nanny who had been looking after Jun-hee rushed over in a fluster and picked up the baby. Jun-hee reached out her hand towards Hae-in, saying “Mama,” then tilted her head and hid her face in the nanny’s arms again.

“I wonder if Jun-hee doesn’t recognize me. Jun-hee-yah, does Mommy look strange with makeup on?”

Hiding her face on the nanny’s shoulder, then peeking out, Jun-hee had an expression of carefully considering whether the person was her mother or not. Hae-in chuckled, finding the sight adorable, and the makeup assistant gave an embarrassed smile.

“I’m sorry.”

Hae-in, regaining her composure, looked properly at the mirror again. This time, Jun-woo’s face appeared in the mirror.

Following Jun-hee, Jun-woo had also entered the room.

Jun-woo was wearing a white shirt, a vest, and a small, cute black bow tie. He walked slowly towards Hae-in, looking at her with curiosity, then glanced at his mother somewhat awkwardly before saying one word.

“Mommy, pretty.”

Unlike Jun-hee, Jun-woo recognized his mother right away and leaned against Hae-in.

“Jun-woo-yah, Mommy will be done soon, so just wait a moment.”

“Okay.”

Jun-woo looked back several times but bravely took the nanny’s hand holding Jun-hee and left the room.

Jun-hee was already two years old, having passed her first birthday, and Jun-woo was four.

After her makeup was finished, Hae-in stood up and straightened her clothes. Today was the day they were taking a family photo at home.

________________________________________

“How have you been?”

Coming outside, Hae-in saw Chief Seok, who had been greeting Soo-hyun, turn to look at her.

Chief Seok, who had been in the United States for the past year, was visiting Korea partly because he had heard about Hae-in’s childbirth.

It was also because Tae-hoon had asked him to stop by the house since they were taking a family photo.

“I really wonder if it’s okay for me to join this.”

Chief Seok scratched his head awkwardly.

In the year since she had last seen him, Chief Seok’s face had more wrinkles, but his complexion looked much brighter.

She had heard that he had initially had communication problems with his children in the United States.

Chief Seok wasn’t unable to speak English, but it seemed difficult for him to have fluent, native-level conversations with his children who had lived in the US since they were young.

Moreover, he had said that it was not enough to resolve the misunderstandings that had accumulated over the years they had been apart.

She had heard that Chief Seok had worked tirelessly to get closer to his children.

Initially wary of their father, Chief Seok’s children had become much less guarded after learning that it was Chief Seok who had been supporting all their tuition and living expenses.

“Now, they even contact me first sometimes. Still a long way to go though,” Chief Seok had said with a chuckle before asking Soo-hyun again, “But I really wonder if it’s okay for me to be here. I heard it’s a family photo.”

“If you say that, I’ll be upset. You’re the one who saved my life. If someone like you isn’t family, then who is?”

“Hehe, well then.”

Hae-in took Jun-woo’s hand and stood beside Soo-hyun. Jun-hee was in Soo-hyun’s arms.

“Okay, say hello, Jun-woo-yah. This is Jun-woo’s... well, Jun-woo’s little grandpa.”

“Hello, Uncle.”

At Hae-in’s words, Jun-woo quickly greeted him, and Chief Seok lifted Jun-woo up high.

“Our Jun-woo, he’s very handsome, just like his dad. The way he greets people so smartly, he already has a special air about him.”

Even though Jun-woo was seeing Chief Seok for the first time in a year, he nestled in his arms without any shyness, as if he knew him. Seeing this, Soo-hyun and Hae-in exchanged glances and smiled.

“Chief Seok.”

Tae-hoon came out of the master bedroom, supported by Hye-yeon.

“Oh my, Chief Seok. It’s been a while. You look even better after your trip to America.”

“How have you been?”

Tae-hoon, meeting Chief Seok after a long time, quietly took his hand and said several times that he was glad he came, then moved to the decorated spot to take the photo, following the photographer’s guidance.

“Oh, did you hear?”

While the photographer adjusted the lighting and the seating arrangement for the family, Chief Seok casually spoke to Soo-hyun and Hae-in.

“About what?”

Hae-in asked, fixing Jun-woo’s crooked bow tie, and Chief Seok lowered his voice slightly, leaning towards Soo-hyun.

“It seems Im Se-young’s prison sentence will be extended.”

“Will she ever be able to get out into the world again?”

At the momentarily cold look in Soo-hyun’s eyes, Chief Seok briefly wondered if Soo-hyun was behind it.

Now a father of two and a caring husband who stayed by his beloved wife’s side, Soo-hyun was also the ruthless man who had mercilessly driven his own relatives out of the company for revenge.

Of course, it was only natural that he wouldn’t show any mercy to Se-young.

“Alright, everyone, let’s stand together in one spot?”

As the photographer, having finished the preparations, asked everyone, they all gathered and stood together.

“Is something wrong?”

Hae-in, standing beside Soo-hyun, asked with a questioning look at Chief Seok’s words.

“No, nothing’s wrong, Hae-in-ah.”

Soo-hyun smiled gently at his wife, who was looking at him with suspicious eyes.

Yoon Se-young would probably never see the light of the outside world again. Her original crime was serious, but there was also the thought of what harm she might inflict on her family if she ever got out.

The sharp look in Soo-hyun’s eyes, which had been momentary, softened as it lingered on Hae-in’s collarbone.

“Your necklace is pretty.”

The gold necklace around Hae-in’s neck was the first gift Soo-hyun had ever bought for her. Hae-in smiled, gently touching the pendant of the necklace.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, but there were more extravagant ones, weren’t there? Why this one specifically?”

After getting married and having two children, Soo-hyun had brought gifts from time to time.

Among them were jewels worth tens of millions of won. Whenever Hae-in found jewels that looked like they belonged in a photoshoot inside the box, she would tremble, thinking they didn’t suit her.

“This one is the best for me now.”

“Really? Is it your taste?”

“More than that, it’s the first gift you gave me. And I even left it behind once... So you know I wear it like a tattoo, right? I wore it on purpose for the family photo because it felt meaningful.”

After being discharged from the hospital and returning home with Hae-in, Soo-hyun had first looked for the necklace she had left in the closet. And he had put it back around her neck.

As a sign that he would never leave her alone again.

“Even now, when I see that necklace, my heart sometimes drops.”

“Then should I not wear it?”

“No. Always wear it. So I can remember.”

“Remember what?”

“That I have to do well so that Yoon Hae-in doesn’t leave twice.”

“What are you saying?”

While Hae-in lightly laughed, hitting Soo-hyun’s shoulder, the photographer’s camera kept rolling.

“Before the formal shoot, we’ll also take some candid shots so you can get used to the camera. You can talk naturally or help each other fix your clothes.”

No sooner had the photographer finished speaking than Jun-hee, who was in Soo-hyun’s arms, waved her hand, saying “Baba,” and pulled Soo-hyun’s hair.

“Oh my, Soo-hyun’s hair...”

One side of Soo-hyun’s hair, which had been neatly styled with pomade, stuck up like a bird’s nest. Hye-yeon, flustered, tiptoed and gently smoothed down Soo-hyun’s hair.

The hair assistant who had been waiting beside the photographer quickly came out and fixed Soo-hyun’s hair.

“Jun-hee-yah, you shouldn’t pull Daddy’s hair. Okay?”

When Hae-in raised her index finger to caution Jun-hee, Jun-hee nodded as if she understood. Then, saying “Bba,” she pulled Soo-hyun’s hair forcefully again.

“Hehe, I’ll hold Jun-hee. The photo just needs to make the young people look good.”

At Tae-hoon’s words, the photographer rearranged their positions again.

“Then, Chairman, please hold your granddaughter, and we’ll take a photo with you sitting on the sofa.”

And so, Jun-hee sat on her grandfather’s lap, and Jun-woo stood beside his grandmother. Behind them stood Chief Seok and Soo-hyun, with Hae-in standing between them.

“Alright, we’re taking the picture now.”

Click.

This photo adorned the living room of Jun-woo’s house for a very long time.

Soo-hyun’s hair had seemed well-groomed on the spot, but when they developed the photos later, it was slightly sticking out.

Soo-hyun shook his head at the photo, but Hae-in laughed, saying that even that seemed like a memory.

And so, as time passed, until Jun-woo graduated from high school and Jun-hee started her career, this photo occupied a corner of their house, providing memories to joke about.

So much so that Hae-in, like Hye-yeon in the past, would hold her own grandchild on her lap, look at the photo, and tell stories.

For a very, very long time.